Throughout Autumn Term 2015 Stanley Picker Gallery have been collaborating Epsom Primary School to deliver a weekly Art Club for children from mixed classes across years 3, 4 and 5.
Art Clubbers: Aaron, Gracie, Abinadab, Jaden, Joseph, Kamran, Ringo, Samuel, Tanzil, Thayna and Thomas.
During the club’s run, with workshops tailored to meet the interests and requirements of individuals, the young artists named above have been learning about historical and contemporary artists’ and designers’ practice, influences and creative processes, while sharing their individual interpretations, ideas and personal preoccupations through free-writing, drawing, collage, hands-on making and animated discussion. These experiences are being recorded for individuals Discover level Arts Award, a new branch of the arts-based qualification accredited by Trinity College London.
Club members visited Stanley Picker Gallery where they saw two very different exhibitions. Firstly Pylon – a collaborative project and artwork mounted by students and staff from BA Fine Art, part of Kingston University Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. Pylon showcased examples of multiple practices – film, photography, drawing, sculpture, sound, objects that invited participant interaction – and much more. Art Clubbers were impressed by the diversity of styles and created their own group piece ‘Transmission’ in response. We were very lucky as three of the artists were in the gallery and art clubbers seized the opportunity to share their creation and ask lots of questions!
Secondly, in the main Gallery we explored Dora named for Russian sculptor, artist and designer Dora Gordine (1895-1991), which presents examples of her collection personally selected by a group of contemporary women artists – three Turner Prize nominees among them – to sit alongside works of their own. Club members enjoyed the combination of traditional bronze figurative sculpture and painting paired against conceptual drawing, industrial installation, architectural plans and models of studio homes and ‘old new technology’ slide show projectors, and were surprised by the ‘dark lighting’.
We met Stanley Picker Fellow in Design Onkar Kular who admired our observational and imaginative drawings of the exhibited artworks introduced us to the concept of ‘authorship’ and invited us to participate in his upcoming fellowship project – an Artist Citizens Advice Bureau.
Art Clubbers used the opportunity to research ideas for the formulation and presentation of their own works. Following their visit, each artist chose an exhibiting artist or method of practice to ‘research’ further ranging from human body in motion, to studio homes, font design and manipulation of light. A work in progress showcase, titled Our House, (Our Gallery) will reveal a selection of the artworks created and ‘research’ undertaken so far – including sketches, sculpture, film, notes and noise.
The Gallery team have been intrigued and impressed by all, and hope that all with join us in celebrating their achievements with interaction of their unique installation.
Epsom Primary is a two-form entry community school that aims to foster a protective and inclusive environment for everyone to learn, develop and create ambition and ‘to equip children with the social skills and academic ability they need to be able to make choices in their future lives.’ All at Stanley Picker Gallery feel that they are doing a sterling job! The artists who are exhibiting in The Lobby at Stanley Picker Gallery are all members of Art Club, which is supported by Year 2 teacher, SENco specialist and Kingston University graduate, Lauren Demeza. It is the ambition of all to continue Art Club and achievements increasing level Arts Awards through the academic year 2016, with current members setting the example of free-thinking and open minded exploration to new additions to the group!